Meet the boss: For CEO Margery Krevsky, success started with a good idea

Oct. 31, 2013

Margery Krevsky, the CEO of Productions Plus in Bingham Farms, shows off pictures of 'talent' that lineline the walls of her office. Her company finds talent to work the auto shows as well as finding talent for in-store demonstrations. / Regina H. Boone/Detroit Free Press

More than three decades ago, Margery Krevsky had a brainstorm at the Detroit auto show.

At the time, she was the manager of a fashion bureau for the Detroit-based Hudson’s department store chain, and she went to the show, she said, because a model who was wearing an elegant dress to showcase a Cadillac concept had invited her.

Back then, Krevsky said, models didn’t talk about the cars while they showed them.

When Krevsky saw the model, she said she thought: “Oh my, the dress is great. But, the car is great, too.”

During a break, the model — who had studied a little bit about the car — told Krevsky what she knew about it.

“That’s when the idea for the company came to mind,” said Krevsky, now the CEO of Productions Plus — the Talent Shop. “What if we had smart, attractive people talking on a microphone about the car? It could create a great experience and improve sales.”

Since then, Productions Plus has grown from just her at a card table in her living room to about 70 employees in offices in Bingham Farms, Chicago, New York and Torrance, Calif. — with annual revenues of about $50 million. Her office in Bingham Farms is decorated with East Asian-themed furniture and art.

In the past few years as the auto companies struggled, she said her company was forced to diversify by providing talent for performances and in-store demonstrations at retailers.

That business, she said, now makes up about about 30% of her revenues.

Krevsky authored a 192-page book, “Sirens of Chrome: The Enduring Allure of Auto Show Models,” which illustrate auto show history.

Over the years, Krevsky said, the definition of beauty has changed. Brands now seek faces — even body types — that reinforce the image that they wish to project.

But, what has endured, she said, is the power of personal interaction. No matter how tastes change and digitally savvy people become, they will always want the one-on-one interaction, she said.

And, she added, the secret of a successful business is to have a good idea.